


Guardian Heart

by pygmywyvern



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Forest Guardian AU, M/M, The Daisuga is a side pairing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-04-06 20:12:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4235055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pygmywyvern/pseuds/pygmywyvern
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Running into the forest to escape the turmoil at home, Asahi finds himself hopelessly lost, only to meet and receive help from the forests' guardian. Years later, Asahi finds himself entering the very same forest --which is intended for destruction -- in search of the beast that saved him all those years ago.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Daffodil

**Author's Note:**

> Many, many thanks to Sam for being a darling beta  
> Listening to The Last Unicorn and Ghibli soundtracks was very helpful for this

Most would think a forest would be rather peaceful and quiet once dusk had fallen on a summer evening; the curious few who'd wander along its welcoming, natural paths having returned to their homes safely before the sun fell past the horizon. No, the evening and night was the time for the forest to show its true colours, and the brave few to enter.

The young child running into the sanctuary of trees was not one of the brave few.

Bare feet kicking up dirt as he ran blindly into the darkening forest, Asahi didn’t really pay much attention to what was in his way, or even where he was going in particular. He just wanted to get away from the raised voices back home. It wasn’t a surprise really that the boy had fled: taking after his father a lot, the young Azumane was very soft spoken and could be likened to a skittish mouse around others. His considerable size compared to his peers probably didn’t help this matter either, with his slightly larger stature meaning he sometimes hurt the other children by accident or knocked things over in his panic. Most understood that he didn’t mean any harm, but children could break others down so quickly, and the awkward brunet boy was a perfect target.

Over time, the already cautious child shrank even more at the first signs of confrontation, which lead to Asahi’s panicked fleeing through the forest not too far from his back garden. For reasons he didn’t quite understand, his mother had been yelling more and more as of late at his father, and tonight when she’d returned from work, the boy who had been about to get ready for bed could already sense her bad mood. True, nothing ever happened to him – his parents always told him to go to his room before things really escalated – but Asahi couldn’t stand the thought of mummy shouting at daddy again tonight.

So, he had run out of the open back door.

Time hadn’t really registered in his mind as he pelted through the forest, his mind in a blind panic from anxiety. Here and there, his feet had trodden on twigs and had been rewarded with scratches, leaves kicked behind him as he sprinted. It was only when he came to a clearing that he stopped. Asahi didn’t recognise the area, not from any of the walks he took with his parents. That could only mean that he was lost in the woods. Lost in the ever encroaching darkness. The realisation was the last strain on the dam, as the tears he’d been holding back began to course down his cheeks. The child knew he should stay quiet – the others in his class had spoken about the dangerous animals that lived in the forest – but he couldn’t stop the soft whimpers and sobs that escaped him, sinking to the floor as he cried.

The amount of time that passed was unknown to the boy, curled up on the dirt with his tears making his eyes red and sore, but he glanced up as he heard the sound of flapping wings above him. Did things that could eat him have wings? Things like eagles, or vultures? Looking around in fear, shining chocolate eyes honed in on a crow, watching him. Crows didn’t eat people, did they?

The bird seemed to be missing a few feathers here and there. It had a very intense gaze to it. Well, at least as intense as an avian could manage anyway. It seemed to be judging him. Looking for where to start nibbling him perhaps? Asahi watched it closely, tears still streaming down his face as he tried to gauge whether he was in more danger or not with the crow watching him so closely. It abruptly started cawing loudly, causing him to jump and nearly scream. What did that mean? Was it calling for back up so it could eat him easier? He was going to be eaten by a bunch of crows in the middle of the night and his parents would never know. Now he was just crying harder.

That was, until he heard _something_ approaching. Something _big_.

From behind where the bedraggled crow was perched, a... thing drew closer to the clearing, its gold gaze fixed on Asahi. He didn’t know what to call it: it looked like nothing he’d ever seen before. Its face looked like that of a crow – in a much better state than the one sat upon the branches – and its talons and black wings were certainly those of a bird, but it walked on four legs. No birds had four legs, right? From between the almost glowing eyes of the creature, bright golden plumage rose forth, a stark contrast to its crest of midnight, with ears - almost lost in amongst the tresses - pointed towards Asahi. It continued to enter the clearing, and the boy had to marvel at the thing’s size: it had to at least be the size of a horse. The back legs of the beast were not that of an avian though. Whilst it shared the dark colour of its feathers, it was clear that it was fur that covered the impressive paws. Asahi could only imagine the imposing claws hidden away in each toe. Lion like tail waving lazily behind the creature, the boy continued to stare at it, tears slowing down. He couldn’t put his finger on why, but the beast’s presence wasn’t scary, but comforting. It made him feel safe.

_“You lost?”_

Confused, Asahi began looking around, trying to figure out who had spoken. But, there was no-one else here. No-one but himself and the creature. Was that... the beast?  His eyes fixed back on the glowing gaze. There was a moment of silence, before it tilted its head to the side.

_“Are you lost, kid?”_

The voice – distinctly male – was felt more than heard, Asahi realised. The creature hadn’t even moved its (his? Could he assume it was a boy?) beak when it spoke, but it had to be the beast talking to him. Finally, the boy nodded in confirmation.

Moving closer, the creature carefully laid upon the dirt, so its golden gaze was on eye level with Asahi’s as it ‘spoke’ again, “ _What’s your name? Or do I just keep calling you ‘kid’?_ ” There seemed to be a slightly playful tone to its voice, and if he didn’t know better, the boy would have thought it was smiling at him. It was a little comforting, really.

“A- _hic_ \- Azumane Asahi...” Still sniffling and trying to breathe after his crying fit, he hugged his legs a little closer to himself, still crouched on the ground.

“ _Asahi-san, hm? Nice to meet you. I’m Nishinoya._ ” Now Asahi was certain the creature – Nishinoya – was smiling as much as his beak would allow. For such a strange looking beast, he was actually quite friendly. Then again, it could have been an elaborate plan in order to lower his defences so he could eat him. But, wouldn’t Nishinoya have just done that when he first arrived, rather than introduce himself to his dinner? Asahi was starting to panic again.

As if sensing the human’s distress, Nishinoya spread out one of his wings, wrapping it around Asahi in a comforting gesture, “ _Hey, you’re safe with me. I won’t let anything happen to you, Asahi-san. Now, what are you doing out here so late at night?_ ”

The soft black feathers brushed against his arms, causing the boy to jump a little at first, before calming. Nishinoya’s feathers were so soft... he couldn’t help but relax, and slowly he mumbled out his answer, “Mummy was shouting at Daddy again...”  The quiet words made the glowing gaze soften slightly, the amused air the creature had before fading away as the saddened child continued to explain, “Mummy is so angry all the time now. Did... do you think I did something to upset her?” The tears were about to come back again full force, but Nishinoya’s smooth beak gently nuzzled against Asahi’s cheek, trying to soothe the boy.

“ _Don’t think that. She’s probably really worried about you right now._ ” There was a soft noise from his throat, almost sounding like how the neighbourhood cats would purr when Asahi petted them. A soft hiccup, but the boy definitely felt a little better. He might have reached up to stroke Nishinoya’s beak, if he wasn’t still a little uncertain how the creature would react. “ _I’ll help you get home if you want. I know this whole forest like I know my own wings, and it’s my job to protect anyone who comes in here. That includes you Asahi-san._ ” He moved back a little, so his soft golden gaze could lock on Asahi’s wide chocolate irises, waiting for the boy’s answer.

...he could trust Nishinoya.

“I... I wanna go home.”

“ _Climb on then. I might have all night but you probably don’t!_ ”

Confused for a brief moment, Asahi watched as Nishinoya moved his wing away from him, spreading it low against the ground and pointing towards his back with his beak. But the boy understood quickly enough, even if he was hesitant to act upon the invitation from the creature. What if this was all an elaborate plot to take him to be eaten elsewhere? As if sensing Asahi’s fears, Nishinoya made the soft, purring noise again in an attempt to soothe the boy, and finally the child rose from his crouched position on the ground, moving closer and sitting upon the creature’s back. The midnight feathers were soft against his hands, Asahi was surprised to find. Not that he’d expected them to be rough, but the way they gently caressed his fingers as he tried to find somewhere to hold on was welcoming. Comforting.

With his passenger secured, Nishinoya stood once more, resting his wings against his back to keep Asahi in place, wanting to keep his charge safe before beginning to dash through the woods. Small hands clung onto the feathered neck, the boy’s body pressed close as he hugged Nishinoya tightly so he didn’t fall as the trees turned into a blur of emerald around them. How fast were they travelling? If he fell-

_“You won’t fall Asahi-san. I have you. I **won’t** let you fall._”

The words were what the boy needed to hear; a simple reassurance from this creature, this _guardian_ of the forest that allowed him to relax. How he had known what Asahi was thinking was beyond the child, but the how was of little concern to him. It didn’t take long for Nishinoya to come to a halt just behind the last veil of trees, the glittering lights of the houses not too far away as echoes of his charge’s name rolled over the fields. Innocent eyes lit up as he recognised the voices and began to try and scrabble down; aided as the forest guardian knelt so he didn’t fall and hurt himself.

“ _Those your parents?_ ”

 Asahi gave a swift nod, smiling up to Nishinoya despite the tear stains on his cheeks and his puffy eyes, “Yes... thank you Nishinoya-sama!” And with those words, he hugged one of the creature’s legs tightly, before running back into the fields, calling to his mother and father. As he sobbed and clung to his relieved parents, Asahi thought about the calming guardian of the forest, deciding to return the next day to give him something as a proper thank you.

He didn’t know that he wouldn’t see Nishinoya again for a _very_ long time.


	2. Sweet Pea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... um.. yes, sorry this took so long. Real life, Haikyuu Holiday Exchange and computer issues meant Guardian Heart had to go on the back burner, and then just how long this chapter got delayed things too. But here it is! Thank you so much to everyone who left kudos, comments and even bookmarks! I'm a shy potato but I read every single one and words can't express how much they mean to me <3  
> Happy Holidays!

Any time that Asahi thought back to the year that his mother gradually began to leave, he always seemed to focus on three particularly vivid memories. The first would have been of little surprise to anyone really: the memory of when his mother said goodbye that last time, and with a weary expression, his father had explained that she wouldn’t be coming back. When he asked about it years later, he was told that he’d been inconsolable for days, bursting into tears every so often at school when he returned the next week.

The second was of that one night in the woods, the time he met the guardian, Nishinoya. His father gave polite smiles and took an over-exaggerated interest in this fairytale. And despite Asahi’s common sense understanding that such response was, in fact, disbelief – an unwillingness to destroy his imagination – he was utterly convinced that it had indeed happened. That night in the woods was so engraved in his memory, that it would be the cause of this third vivid recollection.

In the grand scheme of things, it was probably a memory that one might easily disregard, but Asahi honed on one particular conversation between his father and his elementary school teacher. At the time, he hadn't understood why he was sitting in an empty classroom after school was over, save for the three of them, yet they say hindsight was a too perfect vision delivered too late. Her eyes watched as the young boy fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, and it was with a heavy sigh that she would finally voice her concern that - with a rather sudden absence of his mother seemingly plaguing his mind - Asahi had begun to withdraw from the other children. What if he would find it difficult to make friends in the upcoming school year with his new class? The senior Azumane assured her that his son had made great progress, that he wasn't as troubled any longer. He turned to his son with a reassuring, if a little nervy, smile.

“Asahi, you have friends, don’t you?”

Finally glancing up from the floor tiles of the classroom, the boy looked up in a little confusion at such an odd question. “Yeah... Nishinoya’s my friend, he made sure I was safe and protected me, and that’s what friends do, right?”

At the time, he didn’t understand the look the adults had shared between them: didn’t register that look of concern she held as he swallowed thickly. The name of his imaginary friend being the first that came to her student’s mind was not what she wanted to hear. “Azumane-kun, what about someone from school? Do you have anyone you’re friends with in class?”

The boy was still a little lost on why this seemed to be such a big deal right now, but he looked back down at the tile, thinking hard. Did he really consider anyone in his class his friend? He got along with some of them fine, but it wasn’t as if he’d be invited over to their houses or he’d make sure to spend time with them during breaks. With that distinction made, large chocolate eyes returned to his teacher’s face, “He’s not in my class, but me and Suga-kun are friends? Is... that okay?”

“Suga-kun…? You mean Sugawara Koushi?”

The shy little nod from the boy seemed to set the teacher at ease, though he wasn’t sure why at the time. In hindsight though, the man understood what had been troubling her: a boy with no friends whose mother had just left must be _miserable_ , surely? Perhaps that conversation had been why - come the following school year - Asahi had found himself in the same class as Suga.

Their friendship had a simple start when it boiled down to it. The typical tale of next door neighbours around the same age growing up together and discovering the world, hands linked. True, the linked hands were probably most likely so Asahi didn’t run away at the sight of scary new possibilities, but the beauty of being friends with Suga was the calm confidence that he exuded. An aura that always put the taller boy at ease, regardless of the terrifying scenarios they found themselves in together. If Asahi was honest with others, his friendship with Suga had probably helped him grow into the man he had become. Certainly, the still towering brunet had never quite shaken the tendency to cower before things he deemed scary or at the possibility of confrontation - Suga sometimes joked that he had gotten _worse_ over the years - but the kind attitude and friendliness always helped ground him back when he just wanted to run: allowed him to see that not everything in the world wished him harm.

Which was why he wasn’t sure how he was going to cope with Suga moving away permanently.

It shouldn’t have been a surprise really. After all, Asahi had watched Suga and his boyfriend - one Sawamura Daichi - grow close in their last year of high school together, and the connection had only grown stronger over the years. So, with Daichi’s promotion leading to a move, it only made sense that the couple would finally get a proper place together. In Tokyo… several hours away from the home where the three boys had grown up together. It would certainly take some getting used to (an absolute truth Asahi had convinced himself of) but who was he to try and hinder his friends’ happiness? He was an adult: surely he could cope on his own by now? Well, Suga at least seemed to think so at least, constantly assuring him of this fact.

Nothing seemed to cement the fact that the change was imminent than watching as the cheerful man’s possessions were slowly packed away into boxes, each meticulously labelled so the couple would know what was inside when it came time to unpack. As any good friend should, Asahi had been more than happy to assist in the labour-intensive task of packing up Suga’s possessions, despite the sadness that was clinging to him over the whole matter. His large hands were careful as they plucked the numerous picture frames off of the shelves, gently resting them within the cardboard box that had been designated for them, only pausing as he looked upon the familiar photograph. Not because he’d spent any time looking at it really, but because the very same photograph was on the shelf in his own home.

“Something wrong Asahi?”

Jumping a little in surprise at being caught slacking off, the tall brunet shook his head, smiling sheepishly down to Suga, “N-No… sorry, I got a little distracted.”

The ashen blond was offering a cheeky grin in response at the awkward admission, “What? Did your spidery friend come back?” Ignoring the protests of about how the large arachnid was very clearly _not_ anyone’s friend, Suga easily tilted the picture frame so he could see what had captured Asahi’s attention so, a tender smile blossoming on his features, “This takes me back… how long has it been since we graduated?”

One of their last memories as high school students together was frozen in time, held between the two friends who stared back at their younger faces as Asahi’s gentle voice answered, “I think about ten years?”

“Wow, time’s sure flown hasn’t it?”

There was a prolonged moment of silence in the living room, as just how long the two friends had been together began to settle in once more: how, in only a few days time, talking to someone who understood wouldn’t be as simple as walking a few streets to a comforting drink and a patient ear.

“I’m going to miss you Suga.”

“I know Asahi, I’m going to miss you too. But we’ll still be able to call, and I expect you to text me still.” The hint of concern was not missed in Suga’s tone, before he laughed softly, “Listen to us, we’re talking as if I’m moving to another country!”

Relinquishing his grip on the picture frame so his friend could store it away, Asahi tried to offer a gentle laugh in reciprocation, despite the deep feeling that it _was_ like Suga was moving countries. An hour on a plane was practically the same as that, right? But if he voiced that, surely he would just sound needy, which wasn’t the case in the slightest. … he just needed to stop thinking about how far apart they were going to be.

Thankfully, Suga had found a new conversation topic, picking up a photo of the pair of them as children, “Look at this one! This must have been near the end of summer!” As the image was tilted toward Asahi, the gentle eyed writer quickly looked it over. A gentle smile tugged at his lips at the image of the ten year old versions of themselves playing in Seinaru Forest.

“That was when we went camping wasn't it?”

“To go looking for your monster in the woods, right?”

The brunet could only offer a sheepish chuckle at that, focusing his attention back on the photograph. After his incident with Nishinoya in the forest, he had spoken often of the forest guardian to both his peers and adults, and everyone gave him similar answers; 'you dreamed the whole thing', 'you were scared', 'you're making it up'. Of course, at first Asahi had tried his best to speak up for himself, steadfast in his belief that he wasn't lying or imagining the gentle creature that had helped him. But when only the elderly neighbours would humour him – claiming that maybe he'd met an old spirit or the like – he did as he usually saw fit. Rolled over and gave up, believed that he probably had just fabricated the whole thing as a way to cope with his parents arguing at the time.

But Suga had humoured him for a while, even suggested a stake out like they had seen on the western police shows. Really though, all that the two children had learned was that the forest was rather boring and quiet at night. No bears, no wolves and no goblins, much to Asahi's relief. But that also meant that there had been no forest guardian either, and Suga had finally admitted defeat with his friend's belief.

“They're doing some building work over there now, aren't they?”

Suga's question snapped Asahi from his wandering thoughts, a frown upon the taller man's features, “I think so? I remember Dad was talking about it last week, said they're uprooting the charm of the town or something.”

“Can't imagine the old folks are too happy about it either.”

Knowing how fired up the older residents of their little town could get, Asahi wouldn't have been surprised if they'd tried to organise a protest over the suggestion, even if it would have inevitably done very little. With a shrug, knowing there was nothing he and Suga could do to preserve locations so integral to their childhoods, the writer simply continued packing the photographs away, resolute in not allowing himself to be distracted again.

“Hey, Asahi, didn't you say you got a new camera lately?” An innocent question, judging by Suga's tender look in his eyes, but still a little surprising. The abrupt change of topic must have caused obvious confusion on Asahi's face, seeing how his friend chuckled and continued on, “Well, I was just thinking that the new flat is going to be a bit bare on the walls, and I mean, the forest always looks so pretty in autumn.” A pause, before a soft laugh escaped the ashen blond, “Look at me rambling, I was wondering if you'd mind taking some photos of the forest for me. I'd do it myself but I'm not going to have time before the move really, and I know that it relaxes you.”

Asahi could read between the lines easily enough with his friend. 'It might distract you for a while as I'm getting ready to leave. I want this as a goodbye gift.' Such a finite way to approach the inevitable severing of closeness. But he didn't allow it to show on his face, because he knew that wasn't fair. For once, he could be unselfish as Suga had been to him so many times over the years, and give him what he wanted before he went to follow his happily ever after, as he truly deserved after years of dealing with him.

“Well... I have a free afternoon tomorrow.”

* * *

Hiking boots tied firmly, Asahi's feet took slow, deliberate steps along the ancient natural path, long ago etched into the soil by shoes from the countless wanderers long before him. The autumnal splash of colour that the trees had been cloaked in must have just been the thing that Suga was looking for to make his and Daichi's flat a home, and he had to admit the beauty of the old forest in its fall dress was a sight to behold really. A shame that it would be gone soon.

With his camera in his hands, the writer allowed his feet to guide him along to his unknown destination, trusting the path as he tried to snap the odd photo here and there, watching as leaves began to glide softly through the air at the wind's gentle coaxing. The majesty and beauty of the woods he remembered so fondly from his childhood days entranced him, allowing Asahi to fall like the leaves into a state of peace and tranquillity. But the numerous snippets of the forest's serenity came at a price: it wasn't long before Asahi's feet betrayed him, leading him to a different, unfamiliar part of the woods, path nowhere in sight. At first his detour went unnoticed, but the revelation came charging to the brunet's attention when his aimless wandering lead him to trip over a large root – an undignified yelp being ripped from the man as his world tilted – and he finally realised how unknown the area was to him. There was no trail to follow anywhere in the vicinity, and trees had a tendency to look similar to one another, so they would be of little use leading him back to familiar territory. Camera held protectively against his chest, Asahi sighed softly in defeat as his eyes drifted shut. For the second time in his life, he was hopelessly lost in Seinaru Forest. At least this time he didn't feel like crying.

“You lost?”

The sudden voice caused chocolate eyes to snap open, only to be greeted by a pair of large amber irises staring back at him. Rather _close_ to his face, in fact. Asahi would like to have said that he did not allow a little scream to escape him at his sudden proximity to another person, but judging by how the stranger jumped in response, he was unlikely to be forgetting the noise any time soon.

“Holy- You don't need to scream at me!”

“I-I'm sorry! You... You startled me!”Frantically trying to right himself so he could address the stranger appropriately, Asahi brushed his dishevelled locks from his gaze as he stood.

“I did? Thought you saw me a second ago. Guess you were too busy getting acquainted with the floor!”

The stranger summarily began to laugh brightly, giving the writer the opportunity to assess the small man. Really though, small was almost an understatement: the man was barely brushing past five foot by Asahi's guess, and he may have initially assumed he was a child on his height alone, if the deep voice he had been addressed with hadn't given a slightly clearer indication. His jawline was sharp, but his button nose seemed to soften his whole face, even with his piercing, shining amber eyes, highlighted by the autumnal kimono he wore. If he was to wax poetic, Asahi would have said there was something almost ethereal about this man. Some sort of power to him: a presence much bigger than his actual body, and while Asahi couldn't say why, the sight of the traditionally garbed man was comforting. It might have had something to do with his bright and open expression as he continued laughing at the brunet, even if that was a tad embarrassing.

Finally, the stranger seemed to calm down from his amusement at the writer's expense, offering up a smile to Asahi as strands of blond hair danced between his eyes. Strange, the rest of his hair was pure ebony; had he bleached just that section-

“Sorry, I just never thought someone'd make a noise like that, 'specially someone who looks like you!”

Ah yes, he'd probably overheard that _other_ yelp from when he fell as well. This was not a good day for Asahi, offering up an audible groan as the stranger resumed sniggering and that large grin returned. These photos for Suga had better be worth all this embarrassment.

“Please... please forget that happened...”

“Sure sure, my lips are sealed. Anyway, you didn't answer my question.”

The brunet gave the short man a look of bemusement: had he asked him a question?

“ _Are_ you lost? I ain't gonna take screaming as an actual answer.”

In a vain attempt to distract from his mortifying response, Asahi hastily answered as he clutched his camera closer to his chest, “Yes! I-I mean... I was on the path a minute ago taking pictures and, and I seem to have-”

“Lost your way?” The supplied sentence was met with a dejected nod, but it didn't seem to phase the shorter man. No, a brighter smile spread upon his lips as he moved aside, “Well, I ain't in any hurry to be somewhere, so I don't mind showing you the way. Where you heading?”

Finally, a nervous smile was returning to Asahi's face, thankful that this person wasn't just here to laugh at his misfortune, “I... I was just taking photographs, but if you could help me back to the path so... so when I'm done I can get back out on the main footpath again.... I'd be most appreciative.”

Starting to make a slow wander, the man in the kimono smiled over his shoulder to his new travelling companion, “Then I'll take you the scenic route so you can get some good pictures then! That sound good Mr Photographer?”

How kind this stranger was! Hurrying to catch him up, he smiled sheepishly as he fell into pace beside his guide, “Yes, yes that sounds perfect sir.”

The address earned another loud laugh, the man stepping over the tree roots that littered the ground in the denser area of woodland - really it was almost a marvel that he hadn't tripped on the roots earlier – before waving a hand a little dismissively, “Sir's way too formal, call me Yū.”

Yū.... “What kanji is it written with?”

“Ah, evening.” Shame, if it was the one for 'help' or 'assist', it would have been a perfect fit for his new guide, “So, what’s your name? Or do I just keep calling you ‘Mr Photographer’?”

That question. Asahi had to stop in his tracks for a moment, staring at Yū for a what felt like a small eternity. The question was simple enough, but just the _way_ it had been asked, reminded him of something from so long ago.

“You okay? You don't have to tell me your name if you really don't want to.”

His attention finally returned to the present, gaze refocusing on the slightly concerned features of his walking companion. He hadn't realised he'd simply stopped walking and gone silent at what was – when one really thought about it – a simple and innocent question. Cheeks painted a gentle rose in his embarrassment for worrying the other, he shook his head, making a move to continue walking, “S-sorry, you just... reminded me of someone. It's Asahi.”

Seemingly Yū relaxed once more, smiling gently as he resumed his easy pace, “I did? Hope it's someone friendly!”

For the rest of the afternoon, Asahi spent it in easy company with the kimono garbed man, wandering through the forest in a seemingly aimless manner if he was to go that way alone. But Yū knew what he was doing and where he was going, stopping every so often to point out particularly beautiful views or trees that had grown into fascinating shapes. Asahi hadn't even been aware of so many things, so far off the usual foot path, but his companion smiled, simply explaining that he knew the forest like the back of his hand. He had thought about asking Yū what he meant by that, but before he could, the pair of them were distracted by a starling that landed on a low hanging branch: a photo opportunity far too good to miss. Pictures acquired, the thought slipped the writer's mind again for the rest of the afternoon.

As wonderful as Yū's presence was, the sun starting to fall lower in the sky seemed to prompt both men into making their way back to the actual path and, by extension, towards their farewells.

Beaming a large smile up to Asahi, the smaller man adjusted his sleeves as he addressed him once more, “Guess this is where we part ways then Asahi-san! I hope your friend likes his photographs!”

His shoulders relaxed – because Yū just seemed to have that effect on him – the writer finished securing his camera away in its case, and summarily into his satchel bag, before offering a thankful smile to his saviour, “I... I think he will, thank you again... I, can I ask something, Yū-san?”

“You don't need to give me an honorific, but sure thing!”

Well, this was a little embarrassing, Asahi realised. Why had he decided asking this was a good idea? He'd probably get laughed at again for asking such a silly question. Maybe he should simply backtrack and ask him to forget he said anything? That was still an option-

“Asahi-san, neither of us are getting any younger, what were you gonna ask me?”

See, this was what the writer had noticed about Yū while they had been walking together: this straightforward nature that didn't allow for him to over worry, and while others might put him on edge with such behaviour, the ebony haired man just seemed to put him at ease. With a small smile, he scratched at the back of his head as he sheepishly spoke, “Well, I was... I was wondering if we could do this again? It was really nice... just to walk and... talk.”

He was almost waiting for the other to rebuff him, but instead, all he was given was a bright smile, “That'd make me really happy! I always walk around here in the early afternoon, so I'll make sure to come by here to see you!” Asahi had been about to answer (promise that he'd be back in a few days) when Yū caught sight of something, distracting him before he offered a smaller smile, “I have to get going now, but I'll see you around Asahi-san!”

With the brunet's farewell following him like a shadow, the kind man in the kimono hurried back along the path, marching deeper into the woods so quickly that it felt like he simply melded into the tree line, lost to Asahi's vision within moments. Normally he would have been more curious, more worried for such a small man to be lost so quickly from his gaze when he'd been watching him so closely, but there was just, something about Yū that told Asahi that there was no need to worry. That forest would never harm him.

He was most definitely going to return, to figure out the mystery that was Yū, the kind guide of the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you to Sam my wonderful beta, and thank you to everyone who has read, left kudos, comments or bookmarked <3 I'll hope to get the next chapter out a lot sooner than this one. But in the meantime, Happy Holidays everyone!


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